Rising seventh-grader Cassie is looking forward to a summer of competitive swimming and hanging by the pool with her best friends—away from her 17-year-old sister, Julia, who’s a new mom to 6-month-old Addie. Ever since Addie arrived, Cassie’s life has been put on the back burner, and she longs for the closeness she and Julia shared before Addie was born. So when Julia confides in Cassie that she and Addie are leaving without telling their parents, Cassie takes the chance to potentially rekindle their relationship and joins them on a road trip with no planned destination.

Suzanne LeFleur’s Counting to Perfect is a gorgeous novel that illustrates the enduring bond of sisterhood. Tackling issues of teen pregnancy and its aftermath, LeFleur’s wise and honest young characters show warmth and compassion in a muddled situation. Both Cassie and Julia are strong despite their flaws, and there is no question that their bond will remain unbroken.

This optimistic story is a great pick for young readers dealing with their own family issues.

This article was originally published in the November 2018 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

BookPage Children's Top Pick, November 2018

Ten-year-old Caleb Franklin longs to be anything but ordinary, which feels impossible in his quiet hometown of Sutton, Indiana. But one night, Caleb and his 11-year-old brother, Bobby Gene, trade their toddler sister, Susie, for a large bag of fireworks.

Never fear—their mom soon retrieves little Susie, but the boys manage to keep the fireworks. Their summer really ignites when the brothers meet an older teen in foster care named Styx Malone, who hatches a plan to help the boys repeatedly “trade up” their loot—with the goal of eventually buying a moped—in what he calls a “Great Escalator Trade.”

Award-winning author Kekla Magoon’s The Season of Styx Malone is an old-fashioned summer adventure and coming-of-age story that ever so gently touches on the racial prejudice faced by its three African-American protagonists.

Caleb and his brother live in a parent-protected bubble that they’re more than ready to burst, and their mom dismisses Styx as “a handful of trouble.” But to Caleb, this smooth-talking, deal-making newcomer represents everything he feels he’s missing in his small town.

But as the three boys’ adventures multiply, they also become more dangerous and questionable. The boys are soon stowing away on trains and stealing a motor from an auto parts warehouse. Still mesmerized by Styx, Caleb begins to wonder about his friend’s motives and deeds, noticing that “Styx made it sound like breaking the rules wasn’t really so bad as long as you didn’t get caught.”

As the boys’ secretive exploits build toward an inevitable climax, readers will enjoy being part of Magoon’s thoughtful novel about the pleasures and constraints of friendship, family, trust and betrayal.

This article was originally published in the November 2018 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

In Bryan’s Red Hook neighborhood of Brooklyn, the worst thing you can be is soft. Back down from a fight, apologize or just talk your problems out—you’re soft.

But Bryan’s a good kid. He’s quiet, studious and totally bananas for comic books. It still kind of irks him when his big sister calls him soft, but the last thing he wants in his life is more drama. He’s seen plenty of that as the projects are brimming with it. His in-and-out-of-jail dad hangs out on the corner, all but courting it. But Bryan? Nah. Give him the latest Black Panther comic, a quiet room to read in, and he’s perfectly content, soft or not.

But when Bryan meets Mike, everything changes. Things get tight. At first, it’s a good tight—the tightness of friends who bond over comics and common interests. But when Mike starts urging Bryan to skip class or to hop the subway turnstiles and run from the cops, their relationship turns a new kind of tight, a tense tight, like a rope threatening to snap any moment.

With Tight, the poignant tale of a young Puerto Rican-American struggling to find his place in a world awash in drama, author Torrey Maldonado questions the macho masculinity that has ensnared and imperiled American boys for so long. He shows us how hard it can be to overcome our anger and break free from cultural norms, no matter how outdated or dangerous they may be.

With its understated prose, evocative dialogue and much-needed message, Tight is essential reading.

You may know author Connie Glynn as Noodlerella from her famous Youtube channel. Over 900,000 followers tune in as the pink-haired blonde belts out Disney songs, makes magenta mac and cheese, and dishes about relationships and daily life.

Glynn’s debut novel, Undercover Princess—book one of the Rosewood Hall Chronicles—introduces a world of dazzling settings, engaging characters and plenty of intrigue. Glynn’s on-screen honesty and perky princess persona are embodied in the book’s heroine, 14-year-old Lottie Pumpkin.

Lottie has one prized possession, a glittering tiara that was a gift from her now-deceased mother who raised her to be kind, brave and unstoppable. Her dying wish was for Lottie to one day attend Rosewood Hall. Amazingly, Lottie wins a scholarship to the ivy-covered “Hogwarts meets Hollywood” boarding school.

As soon as Lottie arrives at Rosewood, rumors begin to fly. Her classmates think she’s the reclusive princess of Maradova, not a sweet country girl from Cornwall. But Lottie has learned the true princess of Maradova is Ellie Wolf, her black-haired, angst-filled roommate. Ellie has fled to Rosewood in order to soak up a few years of normal life before taking on the responsibilities of royalty. Since Lottie has dreamed of becoming a princess and Ellie longs to be ordinary, a perfect switch is devised. Unfortunately someone, a malevolent someone, learns their secret.

Glynn has created a rich, vibrant world in Undercover Princess. Readers will readily embrace the boarding school and royalty storylines, the hints of romance, and the intriguing realm and mystery of Maradova. Faced with numerous crises, Lottie struggles but manages to remain true to her kind, brave, unstoppable self.

Debut author Beth Turley brings readers a heartwarming tale of a 10-year-old girl who sees magic in the world around her and even finds a way to create some herself.

Hannah Geller is a star speller and the only girl in her fifth-grade class who has pimples on her face. Her best friends, Courtney and Ryan, have always been there for her. But lately someone has been writing mean notes about Hannah, and Courtney is starting to become distant. Things aren’t much better at home with her parents and their constant fighting. In the midst of all this, Hannah finds herself less and less able to escape from the sad thoughts in her head, and she wishes her life was a happy story more than ever. But this is her reality, and if she wants things to get better, she’ll have to find the courage to let go of the words she keeps trapped inside so tightly.

With sage wisdom and delicate feeling, Turley pens a story that is equal parts melancholic and hopeful. At the center of it all shines an unforgettable heroine who demonstrates to young readers that one can be both tenacious and gentle, sensitive and strong. Every page calls to mind an ordinary magic in the world, from the first crisp air of fall to the luck of a heads-up penny, and with Hannah as a guide, readers can’t help but open their eyes and their hearts a little wider.

In Louisiana’s Way Home, award-winning author Kate DiCamillo expands on the story of Louisiana Elefante, a fan-favorite character from 2016’s Raymie Nightingale.

When Louisiana’s Granny wakes her in the middle of the night, she claims it’s the day of reckoning and says they have to leave town. After a long, eventful drive across the Florida-Georgia state line, Granny’s toothache forces them to stop in a quirky small town with a motel, a church and a friendly boy with a pet crow. Louisiana desperately wants to return to Florida and reunite with her best friends, but Granny has other plans. As Louisiana learns something new about her past and grows closer to the people of the town, will she be able to choose between making a new home and returning to her old one?

Louisiana tells her story in first person with unaffected charm, gentle warmth and keen observation, making it easy to see why the townspeople immediately embrace her. The magic of DiCamillo’s storytelling is in its simple, believable realism. Some people are kind, some are less so. The world can be harsh, even terrible, but it can also be beautiful. The way Louisiana notices, takes in and shares this wisdom is what makes DiCamillo one of our finest storytellers. This lovely story of independence and community will resonate with readers of all ages.

This article was originally published in the October 2018 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Author-illustrator John Hendrix brings his considerable talents to this nonfiction graphic exploration of the German resistance during World War II and the fascinating story of theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer. Bonhoeffer, a double agent who played a role in the failed plot to kill Hitler, was hanged by the Nazis on April 9, 1945, just weeks before the end of the war.

Through black-and-white hand-lettering along with teal, red and black illustrations, Hendrix provides historical context of the post-World War I factors that led to the Nazis’ assumption of power in 1933. Ample white space allows readers to move easily from frame to frame without being overwhelmed by colors. The intensity is already there, of course, in the story itself. In the back matter, Hendrix modestly disavows being a scholar, but The Faithful Spy provides just the right amount of historical information while simultaneously hooking readers on Bonhoeffer’s tragic journey. Direct quotations are flagged with an asterisk, allowing curious readers to trace sources in the notes.

The Faithful Spy is exactly the kind of accessible, innovative page turner sure to entice new readers to the graphic format and the burgeoning genre of middle grade nonfiction. Truly a tour de force.

This article was originally published in the October 2018 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Novels that blend history with imaginative fantasy are particularly hard to pull off and particularly special when they’re written just right. Jonathan Auxier’s Sweep definitely falls into the latter category, as this accomplished storyteller combines Victorian labor history and Jewish mythology for an unforgettable tale of a friendship that transcends time and place.

Nan Sparrow is the best chimney sweep London has seen in a generation. She learned from the best, having been tutored by her kindly guardian known only as the Sweep. But the Sweep has been gone for years, and Nan is now in thrall to a cruel master with little regard for his young charge’s well-being. Although Nan is smart and creative, she can’t imagine a different future until she finds herself cleaning the chimneys at a girls’ school and a teacher recognizes her potential.

But then Nan becomes trapped in the school’s narrow chimney, risking being burned alive on the job. That moment of crisis, however, brings to life the Sweep’s last gift to Nan, a kindly soot golem named Charlie who transforms her life.

Auxier’s melding of fiction and fact—much of which is explained in an author’s note—will inspire readers to learn more about the sources behind this tale. But what will ring truest for readers of all ages is the novel’s emotional core: “We save ourselves by saving others.” This message of generosity and compassion changes Nan’s life and will touch young readers, too.

This article was originally published in the October 2018 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

BookPage Children's Top Pick, October 2018

The inimitable M.T. Anderson has teamed up with award-winning author and illustrator Eugene Yelchin for The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge—which is not quite a graphic novel but far more than your traditional illustrated middle grade book. Yelchin’s wonderfully quirky drawings fill entire chapters without any accompanying text. Other times, they supplement Anderson’s pithy prose or directly contradict it. Such is the inventive world of this wry, rollicking and totally refreshing take on cultural contact and conflict—in this case, between elves and goblins.

Having been at war for as far back as their histories stretch, elves and goblins are sworn enemies, but they’ve entered a period of tenuous peace. In stumble Brangwain Spurge and Werfel (an odd couple if there ever was one), two historians who are more at home in dusty libraries than at the center of the historical stage. Spurge, a pompous elf, has been selected by his government to return an ancient relic to the goblin overlord as a peace offering. Werfel, a gracious and endearing goblin, is tasked with playing cultural emissary to his elfin peer.

Werfel soon realizes that Spurge has no interest in anything that might change his view of goblins as uncultured brutes. Between Spurge’s prejudice and Werfel’s deep sense of hospitality—which requires him to appease his guest as well as protect him with his life—hilarity ensues.

A brilliant, satirical take on cultural chauvinism, objectivity and war and peace, The Assassination of Brangwain Spurge is witty, wise and wondrously unique.

This article was originally published in the October 2018 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Felix Knutsson has a lot to worry about. His mother, Astrid, can’t find or keep a job, and the duo have been living in a van for months after being evicted from their Vancouver apartment. It’s a tough life for young Felix, especially since he doesn’t feel like he can share his dire situation with any of his friends from school.

Still, life with no fixed address isn’t all bad. While Astrid struggles with occasional bouts of depression referred to as “slumps,” she is a loving mother who is trying her best to provide for her son. Felix has a beloved pet gerbil and a good-luck troll, does well in school, makes good friends and has a huge interest in trivia. He even manages to win a slot on the junior edition of his favorite game show, “Who What Where When.”

At almost every turn, however, the state of Felix’s “residence” comes into question by the Canadian Ministry of Children and Family Development. Felix’s luck soars after he wins the game show’s substantial cash prize, but his world soon threatens to implode when he finds himself in the police station with his mother shortly after. The good and bad intermingle at the end, leaving Felix to learn the true meaning of kindness and to discover that homelessness doesn’t have to mean hopelessness.

Author Susin Nielsen weaves humor and heart into No Fixed Address while highlighting struggles that are often swept under the rug. Through Felix, Nielsen shows readers what it takes to carry on.

This article was originally published in the September 2018 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

Twelve-year-old Cassidy Blake is an unusual girl. A book nerd and a bit of a loner, she nearly drowned when she was younger, only to be rescued at the last minute by a boy her age named Jacob. Only Jacob isn’t a typical boy: He’s a ghost, and Cassidy’s near-death experience has given her the ability to cross the Veil and enter a world where she can see and speak to the dead. When Cassidy’s parents, a team of historical and supernatural researchers, take a summer job in Edinburgh, Scotland, Cassidy and Jacob tag along. But Edinburgh is a city full of creepy graveyards, haunted castles and the Raven—a malicious ghost who lures children to their deaths.

Cassidy cannot ignore the pull of the Veil or the Raven, and when she meets another girl who can also see the dead, Cassidy discovers that she’s supposed to send the ghosts away. But what does that mean for Jacob? And when the Raven comes after Cassidy, will she have the strength to fight back, or will she become a spirit herself?

Although City of Ghosts is Victoria Schwab’s first foray into middle grade fiction, the bestselling author of adult fiction and young adult titles like Vicious is squarely in her wheelhouse. The Scottish setting is authentic and chilling, likely drawn from Schwab’s experience attending graduate school in Edinburgh. Schwab cleverly balances the book’s macabre elements with humor. Jacob is a charming sidekick, and as a ghost, he is the bright light of this tale.

Hopefully, there are more adventures for Cassidy and Jacob in store, as readers will be clamoring for a sequel.

This article was originally published in the September 2018 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

A lot can happen in 24 hours—unless you live in Nowhere, Arizona, the least-livable town in the United States, where nothing ever happens. However, the town’s reputation changes one summer evening when young Gus is rescued by Rossi Scott, just as the bully Bo Taylor is about to make him eat a jumping cholla—a very spiny cactus. In Dusti Bowling’s 24 Hours in Nowhere, this one small act sets off a chain reaction of events that will keep Gus, Rossi and Bo very busy—at least for the next 24 hours.

Rossi was able to rescue Gus, but he pulled it off at the expense of Loretta, her prized dirt bike. Resolute, Gus confronts Bo and learns that to get Loretta back, he’ll have to trade one piece of gold from Dead Frenchman’s Mine. Gus is determined to find the gold and get Rossi’s bike back before her big race the next day, and so he gathers up some new friends, and the four venture into the mine. What they find there is more than they ever could have imagined.

24 Hours in Nowhere is fast-paced and filled with adventure, excitement and humor. Each character contributes to the main plot while also carrying a story of their own. This is a perfect pick for young readers who love a well-developed story with twists and turns all the way to the very end.

This article was originally published in the September 2018 issue of BookPage. Download the entire issue for the Kindle or Nook.

When Emily’s sister Holly died, she was buried with her beloved teddy bear, Bluey. Emily had entertained Holly throughout her short life with wonderful imaginings of Bluey’s adventures set in the fantasy world of Smockeroon. All of the stories about Bluey now seem lost to Emily—until the night something fantastic happens.

Emily discovers talking stuffed animals in Holly’s empty room and learns that they had once belonged to the son of Emily’s neighbor, a teen who died many years earlier. The toys speak of their world—the same world as Emily’s own imagined Smockeroon!—and describe it as a place where abandoned toys live and play with their deceased human owners. After hearing this, Emily becomes obsessed with the idea of connecting with Bluey in Smockeroon. She hopes that Bluey can connect her to Holly once again.

Emily’s interactions with the toys are charmingly portrayed. Even though 11-year-old Emily has just begun secondary school and is a bit old for toys, she is still child enough to thrill at their animated existence. British author Kate Saunders realistically portrays the arc of grief—from Emily’s initial unbearable longing to her reckless pursuit of Bluey—until she is finally willing to let the toys go. In an afterword, Saunders recounts the loss of her own son and the process of resurrecting his old toys through this novel. The Land of Neverendings is a sweet, funny story that will appeal to readers poised on the brink of separation from childhood toys, as well as those journeying through the grief process.